Aria has survived by doing the opposite of everything her blood demands. She keeps her red magic hidden, works quietly in a remote tavern, and never gives anyone a reason to wonder why the Ironvale King would pay richly for her head. Then armed fae seize the people she loves and a dangerous prince reveals that he knows exactly what she is. Darian offers no easy rescue. He brings news that scattered red witches are gathering again and a mission tied to powerful talismans, fallen courts, and the fate of a people Aria believed nearly destroyed. Following him could expose her identity. Refusing him could mean losing the first real chance to fight back. Their journey across rival courts forces Aria to use skills she was taught to bury and to depend on a prince whose cold discipline masks loyalties of his own. Darian is maddening, guarded, and far too easy to want when he lowers his defenses. Aria is equally determined to remind him that she belongs to no one. As attraction deepens, political alliances fracture and the line between ally and enemy becomes dangerously thin. The truth surrounding Stormspire, the surviving witches, and Aria’s own past could make her more valuable to the courts than she ever wanted to be. But power attracts kings who would rather possess it than respect it. With war gathering across Veyrath and old enemies closing in, Aria must decide whether staying hidden is still survival, or whether the only way to protect her people is to step into the very role she has spent her life escaping.
Aria has survived by doing the opposite of everything her blood demands. She keeps her red magic hidden, works quietly in a remote tavern, and never gives anyone a reason to wonder why the Ironvale King would pay richly for her head. Then armed fae seize the people she loves and a dangerous princ...